692 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



you are then on the fame plane with the foot of the column 

 and bottom of the river. This pillar is divided into 20 peeks, 

 called Draa El Belledy, of 22 inches each*. 



The two lowermofT peeks arc not divided at all, but are 

 left absolutely without mark, to ftand for the quantity of 

 fludge the water depofits there, and which occupies the 

 place of water. Two peeks are then divided on the right 

 hand into 24 digits each ;• then, on the left, four peeks are 

 divided each into 24 digits ; then, on the right, four; and, 

 on the left, another four : again, four on the right, which 

 complete the number of 18 peeks from the firlt divilion 

 marked on the pillar each of 22 inches. The whole, mark- 

 ed and unmarked, amounts to 36A feet Englifli. 



On the night of St John, when the Nucta has fallen, that 

 is, when they fee the rain-water from Ethiopia is fo mixed 

 with the Nile that at Cairo it is become exhalable, and falls 

 down in dews upon the earth, which till that time it ne- 

 ver does, they then begin to cry, having five peeks of wa- 

 ter marked on the Mikeas, and two unmarked for the iludge; 

 of which they take no notice in the proclamation. 1 heir 

 firil proclamation, fuppofe the Nile hath rifen 12 digits, is 

 i2 from fix, or it wants 12 digits to be fix peeks. When it 

 rifes three more, it is nine from fix, or, Tijfa a?n Si//e, and fo 

 it goes on, fubtracling the digits from the upper number, 

 without giving you any information what that fix is, or that 

 they began to count from five, which 1 fuppofe is the af- 

 fumed depth of the Nile before it begins to increafe. 



When 



f Vid. geometrical elevation and plan of the Mikeas. 



